When astronauts blast off for space, the quick upward acceleration of the rocket results in a force pushing down on the astronauts’ bodies. This force is so strong it has its own name. It’s called g-force. The g in g-force is a reference to the force of gravity on Earth which is the standard for measuring g-forces. Although it’s called g-force, it’s not really a force but an increase in weight due to sudden acceleration. Imagine sitting in a chair and a Sumo wrestler sits down in your lap and … [Read more...]
Diffusion Gradient or How to Make Your Tranquility Flow Everywhere
Diffusion is the process of particles distributing themselves equally across a specified area. Much like passengers on a bus, particles move from a crowded area to a less crowded area. They keep moving until they are more or less evenly distributed in the space available to them. When you wake up in bed and smell the aroma of a delicious breakfast on the stove you experience the results of diffusion. The microscopic food molecules have wafted from an area of high concentration, your kitchen, to … [Read more...]
Potential Energy or is Meditation a Boulder or is it a Ball?
Balls are the most fun and ubiquitous sports equipment in the world. A ball can be thrown, caught, bounced, kicked, batted, hit with a racquet or bashed with a body part. This creates many possibilities for gaming joy. Before we can have fun with a ball we have to perform work with it. Work is a physics term meaning using force to move a thing from one place to another. We work on a ball by using body forces to move it against the force of gravity. Our work adds energy to the ball, energy … [Read more...]
Motion Sensors or How to Develop A Finely Tuned E-motion Sensor
Motion sensors don’t sense changes in motion, they sense changes in heat radiation. Anything not frozen at absolute zero (-273°C or -460°F) emits heat. We humans can’t see heat waves with our eyes because they are far, far below the visible spectrum but to a device that sees infrared wavelengths, the waves radiating from heat are as clear as daylight. In the heart of a motion sensor rests a crystal which generates electricity whenever it "sees" heat emanating from a nearby object. A device near … [Read more...]